Oseanaca
by Antigone1
Summary: While on a beautiful, backwater planet, a terrible attack leaves Obi-Wan doubting the righteousness of the will of the Force.


Title: Oseanaca  
  
Author: Antigone  
  
Spoilers: Not a one  
  
Timeframe: Obi is 16  
  
Archive: If you want it, just ask.  
  
Summery: A terrible attack leaves Obi-Wan doubting the righteousness of the will of the Force.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters are the brainchild of the all powerful GL, I'm just playing.  
  
  
  
Oseanaca was beautiful.  
  
Not a single being who was ever so fortunate as to grace her water-smoothed surface could claim otherwise. There was just something about her that dazzled the senses – formed a temporary barrier which, for a few glorious moments, shut everything – everything – out, leaving one's mind free to be simply content.  
  
Most of those who have had the pleasure claim – after much deliberation – the sunsets to be the most powerful spectacle – the essence of Oseanaca. The planet's singularity was based, mainly, upon its composition. Oseanaca was nearly 90 percent water. The small amount of land which occupied the remaining area was stretched in long strips of spotted green across the planet's predominantly blue outer layer. A leisurely, half a day's stroll would be enough – in most areas – for a person to travel from one coast to another, a point which made, in contrast to most planets, the scant property inland preferred to the surplus of oceanfront homes.  
  
But, again, the feature that drew beings from the far reaches of the galaxy was the sunsets. Sunrises, to be fair, possessed the same ability to steal the breath of the unsuspecting and engulf the soul in wave after wave of pure calm, pure bliss – all the being need do is accept. But sunrises, though they gave the same effect, were rarely observed for, with sunset a mere three standard hours prior, not many of those who witnessed the sun's departure – the majority of the seekers – would give up even a moment of their amazingly peaceful sleep.  
  
The beaches were the real explanation for such result. The fine grains which blanketed the coastal land were the remnants, not of ordinary rock, but of crystal, making the days astoundingly beautify and the sunsets indescribable. The crystal, during the daylight hours, not only reflected the glare of the sun, but absorb enough to, rather than throw back the same blinding intensity, softly sparkle white light – with the occasional patch of brilliant color. While the basic performance remained the same as the sun began its final descent to its three hour respite, to compare it to noonday would have been blasphemous. The sky was alight with color, the sun seemed to grow in both size and luminosity, and the water…The hues seen in the sky would have been enough to draw the occasional tourist, but when the light carried their brilliance down to the land, catching it on the billions of natural prisms, the entire planet shined. The beaches flamed with every color imaginable – and then some – and that same coloring – a phenomenon occurring twice daily – reflected with greater intensity the light shone upon it, and somehow directed that light into the pristine waters. A whirl of astonishment lasting for, precisely, seven minutes and twenty-three seconds.  
  
There was no scientific explanation as to why this happened – perhaps no one really wanted to know the reasoning behind it – but it embraced all who would let it, warmed them, caressed them…  
  
Those were the longest seven and a half minutes of Obi-Wan Kenobi's life. He stood, next to his master, wishing only that the show would end and all present would return to what they came to the beach to do. Bury the dead.  
  
Two people – *two* people – had lost their lives needlessly, and those who came to mourn stopped for seven minutes and took part in, supposedly, one of the most pleasurable experiences in the galaxy. Well, he would not commit such disrespect. And so he stood, waiting for the sun to, at last, fully conceal itself below the horizon and for the funeral to continue.  
  
Twilight settled in and the ceremony went on. Pyres were lit, words were said, and husband and wife – father and mother – once living beings, were reduced to dust.  
  
And, as was the tradition, a family member was chosen to scatter their ashes into the water. Their only child, a beautiful six year-old girl with chestnut eyes and dark hair which curled around her tear-streaked face, carefully carried her parents' remains, wading knee-deep into the cool salt water before taking handful after handful from a small earthenware dish and slowly sprinkling them on the surface, watching each cluster slowly drift away before releasing the next.  
  
By the time the ritual was completed, it was approaching the third and final hour of the night. Seeing no point in returning to their rooms for less than an hour's rest, the Jedi chose instead to wander the beaches, one enjoying the companionable silence, the other debating whether or not to break it.  
  
Finally, the elder, Master Qui-Gon Jinn, spoke, "Padawan, if you have something to say, say it."  
  
Without breaking his stride, Obi-Wan looked at his teacher, and, knowing that there was no escape, said slowly, "Master, from what I have read of this culture, I was under the impression that the people placed a high amount of," he chose his next word carefully, "- respect - on, well, everything. Everyone, both living and dead."  
  
Qui-Gon sighed and halted. He had suspected this was what was troubling his apprentice. Turning to face the boy, he caught his padawan's gaze and asked, not unkindly, "And you believe what you saw at the funeral was disrespect?"  
  
Obi-Wan hesitated, unsure of the correct answer, before responding with a slight, but honest, nod.  
  
"My padawan, what part of the service bothered you?"  
  
Again, hesitation, but the youth responded, "During the funeral - when the sun set. Two innocents were dead and those people had come to pay their respects…but they interrupted the service to take pleasure in something they could have done the next day and the day after that."  
  
Obi-Wan's voice held traces of both confusion and anger – he blamed himself for the deaths of those people. They had traveled to the area to celebrate the birth of a new nephew – cousin for their daughter – and stayed in the very room the Jedi were to have – had Obi-Wan not forgotten to confirm the reservation. The room was requested by and therefore given to the couple while the Jedi were given a slightly less impressive room – more suited to their tastes, anyway – in another wing of the hotel. Unfortunately, a radical group with strong anti-Jedi sentiments had hacked into the computer terminal days before and, not thinking that the Jedi's room might have changed, planted an extremely powerful explosive in the room, set to go off the night of the first day. The parents had left their daughter at a relative's house and returned to the room with the intention of spending some time alone…a simple desire which saved one life, but doomed two others.  
  
"Master, it was just one sunset. Why couldn't they have devoted those seven minutes to the dead?"  
  
Qui-Gon had sensed his apprentice's guilt in its earliest stages and, in an effort to help quell those emotions, suggested that they attend the funeral. Their mission to flush out a political assassin was completed and remaining on the planet for one more day would be of no consequence. But, while those actually responsible had been apprehended and were awaiting punishment, Obi-Wan could not keep from blaming himself.  
  
The Jedi master realized that simple attempts at closure would not relieve the boy's burden, so he tried another course of action.  
  
Qui-Gon slipped his hand into the pocket of his robe, pulling out a small, glittering object, "Obi-Wan, where did this come from?"  
  
The padawan looked down at the rock lying on Qui-Gon's outstretched palm, wary of such an easy question, "You got it by that crystal wall down there," he said with a glance behind him at the massive block of solid crystal, waves gently sloshing against it then receding to reveal the slightly sparkling grains.  
  
Qui-Gon shook his head, "No. Where did it come from? How did it become what it is?"  
  
Obi-Wan almost smiled. He *knew* that the question was not as simple as it appeared. His master was testing his knowledge of the formation of the rock. Obi-Wan was surprised, but prepared, "It was formed by years of compression of the crystal grains-"  
  
"Exactly!" Qui-Gon cut his student off, "And what will it eventually become, if left to the water's devices?"  
  
Obi-Wan looked at his master, this time skeptically. He didn't know what Qui-Gon was trying to get at – but, then, he rarely did. "I guess it will break down until it's grains again," he answered with a shrug.  
  
"Right. What happens in this cycle?" Qui-Gon prompted, hoping that Obi- Wan was, at least, beginning to catch on.  
  
"The beginning and end are the same. The crystal rock becomes what it was – grains."  
  
"It's the will of the Force. That's what these people have noticed, though they don't recognize what it is, and that's what they try to replicate. This planet gave them life. When they die, they are returned to the planet, they become part of the planet. And so, especially during a funeral, to ignore one of the gifts of this planet – one of the gifts of the dead – would be a greater crime than taking pleasure in it." Qui-Gon knew what he said had hit home, relieving some of his apprentice's anger, but the guilt still held fast.  
  
"Obi-Wan, while you *know* that I was not pleased by your oversight," Qui- Gon gave a soft, reassuring, yet slightly admonishing smile, "you cannot blame yourself. You were not the one who set the bomb, you did not kill them."  
  
A strangled cry arose from the padawan's throat, "But Master, if I had just remembered, if I had just stayed in the moment, we would have been the ones in that room…" He trailed off and waited a moment before continuing quietly, his head down, "We would have had a better chance of survival."  
  
Qui-Gon gently grasped his the youth's chin and pulled it up, forcing their gazes to meet, "Yes, and perhaps we would have survived, and perhaps the Force would have found another way to make those two people one with it. We cannot base our lives and actions on 'might's and 'could's. We can only deal with what the Force deems appropriate to give us and strive to make the best of the few things we *do* control."  
  
As he finished, light began to peek over the horizon, giving the sky – and ground – a pinkish hue. Qui-Gon smiled and turned his face towards the light, closing his eyes and basking in the small amount which shone upon him. Without moving, Qui-Gon spoke again, "Obi, did you know that these crystal grains are Force sensitive?"  
  
The boy began to shake his head, but realizing that his master could not see the gesture, spoke quietly, "No…I haven't felt anything from them."  
  
Qui-Gon opened his eyes and turned back to the boy, "That is because you have not opened yourself up and welcomed its presence. You really don't know what you're missing," he said with a slight smile. "The descriptions of the experience come from non-Force wielders…just think what it would feel like were you to allow it to envelope you."  
  
As his master turned his face back and closed his eyes, Obi-Wan slowly released the emotions he had kept pent up over the last few days. His center returned – he had half expected it not to – and he felt whole again. And as the sun's assent directed more and more of its warm rays on the two Jedi, Obi-Wan opened himself completely – and closed his eyes.  
  
  
  
What did you think? I wanna know! Be good lil' Jedi and review! 


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